The effects of relapse prevention training on smoking cessation

The major purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a relapse prevention program which was designed to help smokers anticipate and avoid relapse. To do this, twenty-three male and thirty-seven female smokers who volunteered for an experimental stop smoking clinic were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: (NF) a nicotine fading treatment in which smokers were required to gradually reduce the nicotine content of their brand prior to quitting; (ACS) an abbreviated American Cancer Society Stop Smoking Program; (NFACS) a treatment which combined the nicotine fading program with the American Cancer Society program; (NFRPT) a treatment which combined nicotine fading with a relapse prevention training program designed from the suggestions of Marlatt and Gordon (1978). A pre-test, post-test factorial design was used in which daily smoking rate, tar and nicotine levels, alveolar carbon monoxide levels, smoking topography measures, feelings of self-efficacy regarding quitting smoking, and attitude regarding health were assessed at baseline, end of treatment, 2-month follow-up, 3-month follow-up and 6-month follow-up. Contrary to expectations, the NFRPT group failed to exhibit superior outcome over controls on any dependent variable measuring smoking consumption. Further, the NFRPT group exhibited the poorest 6-month abstinence rate and had significantly higher 6-month daily smoking rates than the NF and ACS controls. As such, these findings fail to support the recent arguments of Marlatt and Gordon (1978) and others regarding the efficacy of relapse prevention training as a means of improving treatment outcome in smoking cessation programs. These results are also consistent with other recent studies which have failed to demonstrate the unique effectiveness of maintenance procedures. A secondary purpose of this study was to replicate the findings of Foxx and Brown (1979) and Prue, Krapfl, and Martin (1981) regarding the effectiveness of nicotine fading as an easy to administer, nonaversive smoking cessation treatment. As expected, the NF group exhibited significant decreases from baseline in daily cigarette rate and total nicotine intake at the 6-month follow-up. However, only moderate abstinence rates and carbon monoxide reductions were achieved. Compared to the data presented by Foxx and Brown (1979), the NF group of the present study achieved superior decreases in daily cigarette rate and tar and nicotine intake but poorer overall abstinence rates. Further, the present NF group did not exhibit superiority of the ACS control group. As such, these results are encouraging but only partially replicate the findings of Foxx and Brown (1979).

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1981

Author dc:creator

• Burling, Thomas Arthur

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74191

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/74191